The last young people to be employed through the Kickstart Scheme finished their six month placements last week. To acknowledge this milestone, Supplytrain caught up with our own Recruitment and Mentor manager to understand what impact she thinks the mandatory employability support has had on helping young people to be better prepared for sustainable employment.

“At Supplytrain we acted as a Kickstart gateway, where we provided the mandatory employability support on behalf of the 200 businesses that used our service. 

“We delivered our employability support through online, 1-2-1 careers coaching, where every one of the 900 young people that came through our gateway were assigned an experienced careers coach to help them start, sustain and succeed on their placement. 

“It was an absolute pleasure to have had the opportunity to be involved in the Kickstart scheme. From my point of view, it was a fantastic initiative that helped to reduce youth unemployment rates and provide young people with access to work opportunities they otherwise would not have had.” 

Unfortunately, the pandemic and other barriers to employment, led to lots of young people being long-term unemployed. This impacted negatively on self-esteem and confidence.

“I acted as a careers coach for over 50 young people and really enjoyed the experience.

“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a person flourish and I’ve personally witnessed so many young people gain confidence and improve their self-esteem over the course of their Kickstart placement. All because they were given an opportunity with a willing employer, and they had someone in their corner who gave them personal advice to make the most of their placement.

“Everyone is unique, yet they all faced similar barriers to employment, and all shared a strong desire to work and make a valued contribution in the workplace.”

What they may have lacked in experience, they more than made up for with their drive to learn and earn a living.

“Having someone impartial who they could talk to about their successes and challenges in the workplace, has been invaluable to many. Through their coaching sessions, they were able to focus on their transferable skills and get a clearer picture about their career aspirations. For me, the sessions were about helping that young person to develop a growth mindset to sustain employment and achieve their career goals.”

Every one of our coaching sessions were bespoke to the individual and their needs at that time, which is something that many will testify were a vital part of keeping them on the scheme. 

“Having seen first-hand how important mentoring support was for young people on placement, and with a national skills shortage for many industries at the moment, I would encourage more employers to invest in young people and put in place some mentoring support, either directly or with a partner like Supplytrain, to help people bed in. Skills can be trained, and with a bit of time and support, young people’s aptitude and application will come out – benefiting them and the businesses they work for.”

Read some of our mentoring testimonials

Safeeyha Siddique: “My Supplytrain mentor, Preeti, was always there to listen to me on placement and support be through tough times. I had such a positive experience on careers sessions that will help me move forward in my career.”

Sian Tredgett: “I’m so grateful for all the help my Supplytrain mentor, Chris, offered me. He was a big help in helping me settle into my new job and show me how to deal with different challenges at work.”

Sarah Kinch: “Ciara was my mentor and was brilliant. She really encouraged me to focus on the positives and reflect on what had gone well the previous month. Seeing how far I had come each month really helped me gain confidence and enjoy my job.”